


I'll Be There for You

by TeekiJane



Series: The Boys of Summer [26]
Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 20:09:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeekiJane/pseuds/TeekiJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haley should know better than to follow Vanessa anywhere.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Be There for You

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks be to Kinsey C., who suggests the best ideas and is never stingy with the laughs. This isn’t as good a Christmas present as one of the members of One Direction, but it will have to do.

_No one could ever know me_  
_No one could ever see me_  
_Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me_  
The Rembrandts, I'll Be There for You

**Haley**

I rarely get phone calls, but when I do, they’re usually from one of two people. Both of them were working on Tuesday, so when the phone rang during the middle of the day while I was home alone, I assumed that it was a telemarketer.

The caller ID showed a very familiar phone number and for a moment I thought maybe Jordan or By had decided to skip work. (It was Jordan’s last day at the Rosebud, and maybe they’d decided they didn’t need him after all.) But it was another Pike wanting my attention. 

“Hey, Haley,” Vanessa started, as if she called me all the time. Sure, we’d hung out a few times over the summer, but it wasn’t like it had been back when we were ‘besties’ and spoke at least once a day. 

So naturally I was a little suspicious that she was calling. “What do you want, Vanessa?” I asked. 

She paused and then sounded put out. “Why do you think I want something?” she asked. 

“What do you want, Vanessa?” 

The pause was even longer this time. “I was hoping you’d like to go to the mall with me,” she said in a small voice. 

I relaxed a little bit. I didn’t have any plans for the afternoon or evening, so why not? I knew Vanessa must have asked me to come along so I could give her a ride, but did her original motivations really matter? She wanted to spend some time with me and I could really use the distraction. “I guess so,” I said after a pause of my own. I know I didn’t sound enthusiastic and she must have picked up on that right away. It wasn’t really Vanessa’s fault; I was just feeling sort of down in the dumps. 

We hashed out a few details. She was in charge of the laundry for the week and she had two more loads to finish, so we planned to leave in an hour, shortly after she put the last load in the dryer. We hung up and I went back to what I’d been doing before she called: brooding. I’m not a world champion at it the way By is, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t while away entire afternoons thinking about everything that’s wrong with my existence. 

Jordan kept trying to assure me that everything was okay between us, but I just didn’t believe him. It wasn’t that I thought he couldn’t get past me shoving him away from me while sobbing. It was more that I was afraid that if I _kept_ shoving him away, he’d get tired of it and stop coming back. Especially since he was leaving so soon. He’d be off at school in less than a week and there would be so many other things and people to get his attention. 

I was listening to Vanessa’s CD of depressing music on my stereo and lying on my stomach on my floor when the phone rang again. I rolled my eyes and slowly made my way off the floor, working under the assumption that Vanessa had changed her mind or wanted something else from me. But I didn’t recognize the phone number, other than the fact that it was local. I picked up the phone. “Hello?” I said tentatively. 

“Haley? It’s Jeff.” He sounded upbeat and happy. I couldn’t help but wonder what had gotten into him. “Can you help me out? I need to get out of the house. My sister is driving me fucking nuts.” 

I didn’t even know his sister was in town. I sighed. “I just agreed to go to the mall with Vanessa,” I told him, disappointed. I’d been hoping to nab an afternoon alone with Jeff all summer long, but it had never worked out the way I’d wanted. 

“Oh,” he said, trying not to let his own disappointment show. Despite the pep to his demeanor, he didn’t sound too thrilled with the prospect of spending the whole afternoon with his sister. I’d liked Jeff’s sister back when I’d really known her, but I couldn’t think of the last time I’d seen her. Maybe something had changed. 

I was torn. I couldn’t go back on my word to Vanessa—we might not be the kind of friends we were when we were thirteen, but we _were_ friends. But at the same time, I was also friends with Jeff, and he needed me for something that sounded more important than just my car. “Do you want to come with us?” I asked. “Vanessa can’t really complain because we’re taking my car. I’d love to go shopping with you again.” 

This time, Jeff paused. “Are you sure Vanessa won’t mind?” he asked hesitantly. 

I honestly didn’t care if she did. “It’s my car, so I get to pick the guest list,” I said, not really answering his question. 

He did sound marginally happier. “Great. What time are you guys leaving?” 

“In about forty-five minutes, but you can come over any time you want.” 

Jeff came over about five minutes later. I wasn’t sure what the rules were with him. Jordan’s not allowed anywhere on the second story except the bathroom, while By can go just about anywhere he pleases. I decided that my mom would be closer to that with Jeff. No one was home and we’d be gone before they came home, but I figured that we’d be okay in my bedroom, especially if we left the door open. It’s not like I had any plans to make out with Jeff, after all. Can you imagine the kind of drama that would lead to? Really not my style. 

He dropped his sandals by the door and the two of us thundered up the stairs. I had thrown my six bed pillows all over the floor, so I sat down on them, expecting Jeff to take the only chair. Instead, he plopped down right next to me, taking a look around as he did. “Cool room,” he said, taking everything in. “It’s very…”

“White,” I finished. I couldn’t exactly explain _why_ I had redecorated my room so monochromatically, but I’d found that I liked it when it was finished. 

He leaned over and inspected my scribble wall, or as By likes to call it, ‘The Wall of Schlock and Schmaltz’. “I especially love this,” Jeff added. 

I smiled half-heartedly. “Some days, those words are the only thing keeping me sane,” I admitted. 

Jeff grinned briefly. “I feel the same way about my meds,” he said. I looked over at him, wondering what medication he was talking about. He must have read my mind. “I’m taking lithium for bipolar disorder,” he said seriously. “It’s why I’m so up and down all the time.” 

I nodded at him, wondering what _my_ problem was. “You can write on it if you have any words of wisdom,” I told him. “There are markers on my desk. 

Jeff hopped back up and grabbed a Sharpie. He inspected every word written on the wall before he found a blank spot up out of my reach—and probably By’s as well. “I wanted to make sure you didn’t already have this one,” he commented before he began writing. In typical male chicken scratch he scrawled, ‘The journey of a million miles starts with one step.’ 

I stretched out on my stomach as he joined me back on the floor. Vanessa’s CD was still playing. “What are you listening to?” he asked. 

I wrinkled my nose. “I have no idea,” I admitted, “but before you called, I was getting ready for a good cry. I can change it, if you’d like.” 

He shook his head. “Nope. Your house, your choice. But I do have to wonder what is bugging you so badly that you feel like listening to shitty, depressing music and sobbing your heart out.” 

I didn’t answer him directly. Instead, I glanced over at my dresser where, among the general life clutter, was a single framed photo. Jeff followed my gaze, never moving from his pillow perch. The photo was of Jordan and me in Maine. I was standing on a bench behind him, leaning against his back, my arms wrapped around his neck. He’s turned away from the camera—looking over his shoulder at me. “Oh, I see,” he said gently, “He’s leaving for school this weekend, isn’t he?” I looked away and bit my lip. Jeff watched me for a moment and then shook his head. “I’m sorry I brought it up.” He furrowed his brow. 

I shook my head back at him. “You didn’t bring it up,” I replied, stretching out flat with my head sideways on one of the pillows. “I haven’t been able to think about much else for the last few days.” 

“Believe me, sister,” Jeff said, “if anyone understands what you’re going through, it’s me.” He rolled onto his own stomach so we were side by side. “You feel like he’s running off to start something interesting and fun without you, and you’re left behind in the dust, hoping he doesn’t forget you.” 

He did understand; I could see that. And I knew why. Jeff was headed back home to live with his dad soon, same as he’d been doing his whole life. He wasn’t moving hours away from home to live in a dorm with a bunch of strangers, like Jordan and By and Adam were. I nodded at him and he smiled. “Aw, Hay, I get it. I really do. You’re going to have to go months without seeing him. I’m in the same boat with By. But I really have faith in my relationship and I’m certain it can go the distance.” He paused and made a face. “Inadvertent pun. Sorry.” 

I rolled my eyes. If I’d been in a better mood, I probably would have laughed. Instead I fought back tears a bit. He looked at me and I knew he could see it. We sat quietly for a minute before he spoke again. “So what’s this I hear about Jordan still being a virgin?” he asked. I rolled over onto my side to get a better view of him and he grinned at me in a way that told me he was just trying to lighten the mood. “You two are the king and queen of PDA. I’m surprised you’ve managed to go four whole months without sealing the deal.” 

I wasn’t sure if he didn’t know the truth about me or if he just decided it would be cute to pretend. I decided to go with the latter. “I’m a tease,” I told him. “I’ll give him a taste, and that’s it.” 

Jeff laughed heartily. “I should have been that way back when I was dating girls,” he said wryly as he rolled onto his back. 

I sat up. “Not with By, though, huh?” 

He closed his eyes and grinned. “No, not with Byron so much. I’m in no hurry to go farther with sex with him, but that’s not being a tease. It’s savoring things. D’ya know what I mean? Enjoying everything to its fullest while it’s new and special, knowing we have time in the future to go to that next step without feeling like we have to rush into it now.” 

I wanted to feel that healthy and mature about sex. Instead, I was constantly of two minds about it. I definitely had hormones and they were definitely raging. My heart said to go further and do whatever comes next. But my head held me back. It said, ‘Stop now, because you’re only going to get hurt.’ “I wish I felt that way,” I commented idly. 

Jeff opened his eyes again. “Which part don’t you agree with?” he asked. 

I thought about that. “I don’t have a problem with enjoying things,” I said and he gave a half smile. “It’s more the time thing. I don’t know how long I have before I fuck things up and everything falls apart.” 

He crossed his legs in front of him, still lying on his back. “What makes you think you’ll screw something up?” 

“I may have already,” I muttered. He gave me a look. “Never mind. It’s really complicated.” 

Jeff shrugged. “I have the time. Why don’t you try me?” 

I closed my eyes briefly before I replied. “My mom has a motto,” I said after a moment. “Expect the best, but prepare for the worst.” Jeff nodded. I know he remembered my giant Mom-purse from Maine. “It’s always worked pretty well for me. But she never prepared me for the absolute worst thing that ever happened to me, and it’s not something I know how to deal with now that I’m reliving it on a daily basis. I just think that Jordan’s going to get tired of waiting for me if I don’t get over it.” 

He pursed his lips for a moment. “I’m not going to even try to pretend to understand what you’re going through on that end,” he said finally, “but I’ll tell you what I _do_ know. There’s a serious downside to always being prepared for the worst.” He had my full attention now. I leaned over toward him. “Sometimes, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You spend enough time thinking you’re going to ruin your relationship that you actually do.” 

I wrinkled my brow but didn’t say anything. Instead I flopped back face down on the pillows. We were quiet for a moment before Jeff spoke again. “Hey, Haley, remember that time we were stranded on an island with my sister?” 

I pulled my face off the pillow. “How could I ever forget _that_?” I replied, smiling for the first time pretty much all day. “Why do you think my mom is the way that she is?” He tilted his head to one side, looking glorious in the fact that he’d actually made me smile. “When we were missing, she thought she’d never see me again. Ever since then, she’s done everything she can to prevent hurting like that again.” 

We were a lot less deep after that. We talked about television and music and he told me about some of his friends back in California. And then, just about five minutes before she said she’d arrive, Vanessa popped up on my doorstep. Because she’s Vanessa and not your average human, she didn’t knock or ring the doorbell—she threw pebbles at my window. I knew exactly what that meant because she’s done it before. I pulled myself off the floor and threw my pillows back onto my bed. Jeff stood as well, looking confused. I leaned on the window sill. “Hold your water!” I shouted at Vanessa. She grinned back at me and plopped down in the grass where she stood. She was wearing a short plaid skirt and a black shirt with her Doc Martens and she’d pulled her hair into two pigtails. Her makeup these days is bright and colorful—she was wearing hot pink sparkly eye shadow. She looked absolutely ridiculous, but I knew that was the point. 

I turned to Jeff, who’d gathered up the pillows he’d been sitting on. “Vanessa’s here,” I announced. 

We were out the front door in just a moment. Vanessa looked over at the two of us together. Her face clouded over for a moment, but then she just shook her head. “Oh, goody,” she said sarcastically, “It’s two thirds of the Pike triplet fan club! What did I do to deserve the honor of this company?” 

I was not in the mood for her unique brand of humor. “You don’t have to go with us, if you’re that unenthusiastic about our ‘company.’” I said warningly. 

She looked over at Jeff, who was playing with his sandal and pretending he wasn’t listening to the conversation. The look on her face plainly said she was surprised Jeff was coming along on our mall trip, but she smartly didn’t say a word. Jeff looked up from his shoe and, realizing we were past the moment, tried to break the tension. “So, Vanessa, what takes us to the mall today?” 

She turned a little bit pink. All the Pikes are really fair skinned and blush unbelievably easily. “Nothing special,” she said as I locked the front door. That kind of response said that she had something specific in mind, but she wasn’t going to bring it up until she had us trapped in it with no escape route in sight. She and Jeff followed me to the car. 

Jeff was reading Vanessa’s mood properly, so he didn’t even attempt to get into the front seat of the car. He got in behind the driver’s side and let Vanessa climb up in front with me. We turned out on to Burnt Hill, Vanessa still stewing and me concentrating on driving. Jeff leaned forward between the seats; he hadn’t belted up yet. “Didn’t Byron tell me that your parents used to not let you drive your car?” he asked me. “When did that change?” 

I laughed. “When everyone made it back from spring break in one piece. They were impressed that I’d driven around that much and no one died.” 

Vanessa was looking over her fingernails, which matched her eye shadow. “You really didn’t drive _that_ much,” she said. “You let the boys do all the highway driving.” 

I’d hoped no one had noticed that. I’d never driven on the interstate before and I hadn’t been eager to try it for the first time with a car full of my friends and quasi friends. I’d gone on my own and tried it out a few weeks after we’d gotten back and found that it wasn’t that bad. “Well, my parents didn’t need to know that part,” I said lightly. 

We were relatively quiet for a moment before Vanessa looked up from her hands. “What the hell are we listening to?” she asked. 

“I have no idea,” I replied. Jeff caught my eye in the rear view and he grinned. He’d caught the echo also. “Jordan made me a mix CD. He’s trying to get me into classic rock.” 

That got Vanessa’s attention. “Jordan likes classic rock?” she asked, bewildered. “I only ever hear metal coming out of his bedroom,” she added. 

“That would be Adam,” I said. “I get the feeling Jordan usually uses head phones when he plays music.” Vanessa wrinkled up her nose and mouth, although I wasn’t sure why. Was she upset that I knew something about her brothers that she didn’t? “Jordan likes all kinds of music. His tastes are very…eclectic.” I turned the CD up a little bit. “My tolerance for this old stuff is growing. I can’t say I like most of it, but I can actually listen to more than thirty seconds of most of the songs before I change them. And there are a few that I actually will admit aren’t bad.” 

Jeff was still leaning between the seats. “Oh, yeah?” he asked. “Like what?” 

I gave my most evil grin and flipped through the CD until I found exactly what I was looking for. A short time into the song, Jeff laughed and sat back, finally putting on his seatbelt. Vanessa gave him a look. “What’s so funny?” she growled. 

“Oh, you’ll see,” Jeff replied. Vanessa did not look any happier. She glared at me suspiciously. 

“I think Jordan put this one on here first to get my attention because he knows I can’t resist shit like this,” I said with a smirk. 

She listened intently for a little while, trying to figure out what Jeff and I thought was so hilarious. The song was long and it took longer than I’d anticipated for Vanessa to recognize it. “Noooo!” she shrieked. “Haley! You actually like this garbage?” she asked, her tongue hanging out of her mouth like the music had left a bad taste behind. 

I looked at her innocently. “You mean you don’t like Bohemian Rhapsody?” I asked as I flicked my eyes back to the road. 

“You’re not going to get me to head bang,” was her only reply, but it was pretty much a lie. When that part of the song came on, she ended up bobbing her head as much as Jeff and I did. 

When the song ended, I turned the radio off. “For the ride home, I have Stairway to Heaven,” I teased. Both of them shuddered. 

We pulled into the Washington Mall parking lot and I started looking for a parking spot. There were plenty of spots, but I always like to park under one of the lane markers so I can remember where I left my car. As I was cruising up and down the aisles, Jeff plastered his face to the window. “Isn’t that the Helen-mobile?” he asked. 

I looked the same direction, and sure enough, there was Helen’s convertible. She has a custom license plate with her last name spelled phonetically on it, so there was no mistaking it. “If we see her, I’m going to duck into a store and hide,” I sighed. 

“Who is Helen,” Vanessa asked, “and why do you have to hide from her?” 

I grimaced and Jeff turned to Vanessa. “She’s Byron’s manager and she’s got a major hate on for Hay,” he told her. 

Vanessa frowned and turned to me as I finally parked the car. “I originally interviewed to work behind customer service with her,” I said, “but when they offered me a job, it was in towels with a different manager. I don’t know if Helen just decided she didn’t like me or if the bath manager Jeri poached me. Then when they were short a bridal consultant, Helen recommended someone and Jeri recommended me. I got chosen.” 

She looked confused. “So?” 

I wrinkled my nose. “Helen holds grudges. I think there’s a lot more to it than those two things. I heard a rumor that Helen wanted to switch over and be in charge of the bridal and china department, but they promoted someone over her head instead. She’s been super-critical of me ever since I got sent to the bridal department. I got my three month job review yesterday and I was rated ‘exceeds expectations’ in nearly every category. Yet Helen tells me off every time we work together for something stupid. She basically told me I was incompetent the other day.” 

Jeff nodded. “Yeah, because you can really control having an allergic reaction,” he commented with a chuckle. 

Vanessa made a face. “I had a reaction to the chemicals they use to clean the toilets. My throat started to close up. It would have been cool if it wasn’t so life threatening,” I told her. 

She shook her head as we reached the mall door. “Clearly,” she said dryly, “you and I have different definitions of cool.” 

We’d barely made it inside the door when Jeff decided he needed to use the bathroom. Vanessa apparently has a map of the mall inside her head, because she knew exactly where the closest men’s room was. Jeff popped inside and I leaned against the wall a short ways away. Vanessa folded her arms in front of herself and glared. “What?!” I asked, as if I didn’t know the answer. 

She didn’t answer directly. Instead she looked up to the second story balcony and watched some shoppers for a moment. She was trying to up my irritation level and she was succeeding. “Maybe,” she said finally, still not looking at me, “if I start calling you ‘Hay’ I can actually get some of your time.” 

I raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?” I asked. 

Vanessa met my gaze. “I was hoping to spend some time alone with you,” she said crossly. “You and I used to be so close. And then we had a stupid fight over nothing and you stopped being friends with everyone except my idiot brother. I thought after spring break we’d be able to hang out together more, but you’re always with one of my brothers. I knew they were both busy today so I was sure you’d be free. But you had to go and bring Jeff along with us.” 

I knew it was killing her to admit that out loud and that melted my iciness a little. “I’m sorry it’s not what you were expecting,” I said, still annoyed a bit, “but Jordan is leaving this weekend. And then both By and Jeff are leaving within the next two weeks after that. I want to spend as much time as possible with them before they go.” Vanessa was sulking. “I’ll have just oodles and bunches of time free when school starts. I’d be glad to spend some time with you, just the two of us, after that happens.” 

“Great,” she said, “I’m the honorable mention. I’m what you get when everything else was taken.” Vanessa sighed. “I remember a time when you were mine and I didn’t have to share you with my brothers.” 

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not a toy, you know,” I said as Jeff came out of the restroom. “I don’t belong to anyone. I get to decide how to spend my time.” 

Jeff watched warily as Vanessa shook her head in disbelief. “Oh yeah? Like you wouldn’t run back home right now if Jordan called and said he needed you.” 

She was right about that. “Yes,” I said after a moment’s pause, “but that would be my decision. I love Jordan and I _would_ drop everything for him if it came down to that.” 

Vanessa looked surprised and she opened her mouth to speak, but Jeff interrupted. “Sorry I took so long,” he said, putting one arm loosely around my shoulder and looking at Vanessa with his head cocked to one side. “Where do you want to go first, Vanessa?” 

She gave him a look that said she didn’t appreciate him breaking up our disagreement, but she just shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I really just wanted to do some boy scoping.” 

I groaned and Jeff turned to me pleadingly—I think he thought I was about to start the argument again. “Have you heard about Vanessa’s mystery man?” I asked. He shook his head. “She’s spent the past two months trying to identify this guy she met when she got her driver’s license. I actually spent a couple hours wandering downtown Stoneybrook with her a couple weeks ago, hoping to find him.” 

Jeff was intrigued. “Ooh, that sounds interesting,” he said. Vanessa perked up just a little. 

“The only problem is,” I continued, “we have absolutely no idea who this guy is or where he lives or anything of the sort. All she’s got is a vague description.” 

Vanessa grimaced. “I’ll recognize him if I see him again,” she defended herself. 

“Describe him,” Jeff insisted. 

“Tall—a couple inches taller than you, I’d say,” she said. “Olive skinned, brown eyes and hair. Really cute.” 

“See the trouble?” I said to Jeff. “He could be a lot of guys by that description.” I looked around and began pointing. “He could be that guy…or that one…or that one.” 

“Wait a minute,” Vanessa said, looking surprisingly happy. “That’s him!” 

Jeff looked off in the general direction I’d been pointing. “Which one?” he asked. 

“The second one,” she said, standing on tip-toe and staring off into the distance. She’s a good four inches taller than I am and I had already lost track of the guy in question. He’d been with another shorter young man, both of them carrying skateboards. “Oh my goddess!” she said, getting a little panicky, “That’s definitely him!” 

“Well then,” Jeff said, moving in the direction which the boy had been walking, “let’s do what we came for and follow him!” 

Vanessa quickly followed Jeff and I had to break into a trot to keep up. “What exactly are you going to do once you catch up to him?” I asked. “Say, ‘Hi, remember me? I’ve been thinking about you for weeks. What’s your name?’” Vanessa shrugged but she looked a little irritated. Instead of responding, she sped up. 

In a moment we were right behind them. “Recognizance time,” Jeff whispered, standing between me and Vanessa. He slowed down so that we were close enough to hear what the boys were saying, but not so close we were obviously following them. 

The shorter boy was talking about his sister’s birthday, which was apparently coming up soon. “What do you get a ten year old?” he asked with a shrug. 

Vanessa’s boy was idly spinning one of the wheels on his skateboard. “I had the same problem when my sister turned ten,” he said. “It’s too old for Barbies and shit, but too young for makeup and the kind of stuff my other sister is into.” He thought about it for a moment as the five of us walked past a toy store. “Bill,” he said to his friend, “Look at that!” 

From my angle I couldn’t see what he was pointing at, but whatever it was, it got Bill got all excited. “It’s perfect!” he exclaimed. “You’re a genius, P!” 

Jeff looked at Vanessa and raised his eyebrows. “P,” he mouthed at her. She made a face, not catching it, so I signed the letter P and she nodded. 

Meanwhile, the two boys had gone inside the toy store. A moment later, they both returned without the toy. An employee was with them. “You’ll have to leave the skateboards outside,” she told them. 

The two of them made faces and turned toward each other. Jeff, Vanessa and I had stepped back toward the fountain, pretending to be fascinated by it while watching everything out of the corner of our eyes. I really got a look at the two of them for the first time that way. Vanessa was right; the boy she’d been hunting for _was_ pretty cute. P sighed. “I can stay here with both boards,” he said. 

“Naw,” Bill replied, “I wanted you to take a look at the video games with me, remember? Just put them down. No one will bother them.” P nodded and set his board leaning against the side of the store. Bill put his right next to it and they went back inside. 

Quick as a flash, Vanessa zoomed over to the boards and picked one up. “Vanessa,” I hissed from a distance, “What are you doing?” 

“I’m looking at the boards,” she said. “Maybe his has his name or number on it somewhere.” She picked up first one board and then the other. “Damn!” she exclaimed, “I can’t remember which is which.” 

I looked at the one in her hand. “That’s the other guy’s,” I said. She gave me a questioning glance. “It says Bill right here. That’s what your mystery P called his friend.” All I could think at that moment was that either Vanessa was a really lousy detective or she had been too busy drooling over P to pay much attention to what he was saying. 

“Right,” Vanessa put the board down and picked up the other skateboard again. She groaned. “It doesn’t have any identifying marks on it. I’ll never figure out who he is!” Frustrated, she practically tossed the board back down. 

“No…” Jeff began. He’d stayed a few steps back from where Vanessa and I were standing in the doorway to the toy store. “But I know a good way to find out if he remembers you or not.” Vanessa raised her eyebrows. “He’s paying right now. Quick, grab his skateboard again.” She picked it back up. “Now, on my call, run with it.” 

I was aghast. “What?!” I said, not sure I was believing my ears. Jeff shushed me and I backed away from the two of them, hurt and confused. 

P and Bill came back out of the toy store. “Hey,” he said as he saw Vanessa standing there with his skateboard. A look of recognition crossed his eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked, amazed. 

“Now!” Jeff shouted and the two of them took off running. A moment later, realizing that me standing there gawking was not going to help, I followed. They’re both taller than I am, with longer legs, and they could have outrun me if they’d chosen, but they didn’t. I caught up pretty quickly. I suddenly realized they were hoping that the two boys would catch us. 

Instead, P just stood there, looking surprised. Bill leaned against the toy store window, holding his own skateboard, and laughed. “Vanessa Pike!” P bellowed down the hall, causing everyone in hearing distance to turn and look at him. “I’ll get you back for this!” he shouted. 

We sped a ways down the mall before we ducked into the food court. “Do you two realize,” I said seriously as we plopped down at a table, “that you just stole that guy’s skateboard?” 

“Ahh, but more than that,” Jeff said, starting to laugh, “we discovered something very important.” I gave him a ‘do go on’ gesture. “Not only does he remember who Vanessa is,” Jeff continued between chuckles, “he likes her.” 

“What makes you so sure of that?” 

Jeff stopped laughing, although he was still grinning. “Haley,” he said to me, “when did you figure out that Jordan had a thing for you?” 

I frowned at him. “Why?” I asked. He didn’t answer; instead he sat there, waiting for me to answer him. Finally I sighed. “When he came to apologize for his behavior during the trip. He said he was sorry for the way he’d been acting toward By and then promised I’d never hear him behave like that again.” I took a breath. “And then he said that he’d do anything else I wanted to make sure I forgave him. I suddenly realized that he’d been acting like an ass during the whole car ride from Camden to Ogunquit because I’d yelled at him and basically threatened to punch him again.” 

“And you realized that upset him because he had feelings for you,” Jeff added. I nodded. “I have to ask, did you kiss him, or did he kiss you?” 

I flushed. “I kissed him.” I honestly don’t think it would have gone well if he’d tried to kiss me. I probably would have broken his nose that time. I still don’t take surprise kisses very well, even after months of making out with him. 

Vanessa rolled her pink-lidded eyes. “This is all very touching,” she said, oozing sarcasm, “but can we get back to me here?” 

“Yes, Vanessa,” Jeff said, matching her sarcasm, “this _will_ roll back to you here in a second. I knew that Jordan liked you pretty early on, but I had it confirmed the night before you two hooked up. He kept sliding you into the conversation when we went out for a walk. He was really concerned with how he looked in your eyes. I finally just said to him, ‘So how long have you been in love with Haley?’ and he answered without even thinking about it, and then he looked embarrassed.” He chuckled and I smiled, thinking about how Jordan didn’t say anything before that night because he thought I was dating his brother. 

“What I’m saying here is that straight guys all kinda work in just a couple different ways. A lot of them, including Jordan, want to look good to the girl they like and protect her from stuff.” Jeff dug into his pants pocket and inspected the money he pulled out. “I see a little bit of this in that P guy. I know he remembers Vanessa because he said her name. I also know he likes her because he totally could have threatened to call mall security and have her arrested for theft. But that would make him look bad in Vanessa’s eyes. Plus, his friend totally knew who she was and that P wouldn’t chase after her.” He paused for a moment. “Of course, he seems to be more of another type of guy…the one who’s going to pretend he doesn’t care and be standoffish so the girl comes running to him. This guy’s an interesting blend of character traits, Vanessa.” 

She grinned and set the skateboard down on the table. “I’m famished,” she said, draping herself across several chairs. 

Jeff handed her a twenty dollar bill. “Then go get yourself a smoothie. Get one for Haley, too, my treat.” We straightened out what was being ordered and she walked off. Jeff looked at me as I started playing with the wheels on the skateboard. “You okay?” he asked me. I gave him a look, not sure why he was asking. “You didn’t seem real thrilled with my plan to get P’s attention back there, and even though I got you smiling when I was talking about Jordan, you’re back to overly serious again. It doesn’t really suit you, just so you know.” 

I sighed. “How did you become such an expert in mine and Jordan’s relationship?” I asked. 

He stretched and put his feet on Vanessa’s vacated chair. “I’m not an expert,” he said, “I was just an outsider with a fresh perspective, that’s all.” 

“Well, I feel the need to point something out to you,” I said, putting my head on one shoulder. It was the only way I could see his face while he was seated like that. “Wanna know how quickly I figured out that By liked you? About ten seconds after you showed up on that Sunday morning. And know how quickly I figured out you liked him? A couple hours into the car ride—right after the two of you started talking. It was like something clicked into place for you. You became instantly happier.” 

Jeff laughed. “You’ve got me beat then, because I never would have guessed that you were the one to kiss Jordan. I knew he liked you, but I didn’t know you liked him.” I shrugged at him. I hadn’t really known that myself until I’d been in the moment. “As for me and By, you know what ‘clicked into place?’ I asked him how long you two had been dating and he told me you weren’t. It was the second piece of how I figured out he was gay, and even though I was sitting there going, ‘I’m straight—I can’t be attracted to him,’ it made me so happy.” Vanessa returned with the drinks as he finished his story. “I was really pretending to myself those days. I have to admit now that Byron wasn’t even the first guy to get my attention—he was just the first guy to return it.” Vanessa set a drink down in front of each of us. “Back then, I was all about no labels, no identity. I’m just Jeff. I’m actually secure in who I am now. I could jump on top of this table and shout my identity to the world, if it weren’t totally copying that dare you gave By back in Maine.” 

Vanessa took a long sip of her smoothie. I ignored mine, staring at the surface of the skateboard for a moment. “What identity is that?” Vanessa asked. “Are you really Clark Kent or Superman?” 

I looked up from the skateboard. “Hey,” I said, interrupting Jeff’s announcement. “I think P is this guy’s last initial.” 

Vanessa turned from Jeff to me. “What makes you say that?” 

I ran a finger along the surface in between the stickers on the board’s underside. “Someone carved some letters on here. I’m pretty sure it says LP.” 

Vanessa snatched the board from me and turned it back and forth in the light. “Hey, you’re right,” she marveled. “LP. I wonder what that stands for?” 

I shook my head. “Dunno,” I said, “but you were right, Vanessa. I have seen him somewhere before. I can’t remember when or where. I think we were a lot younger at the time, though.” 

We finished our smoothies and were throwing away our garbage when LP and Bill showed up in the food court. They spotted us before we spotted them. “Oh, Vanessa and friends!” LP shouted. 

Jeff grabbed the board and handed it to Vanessa. “What’s the fastest way out of here?” he asked. 

She pointed. “That way.” 

“Well, let’s go, and quick.” 

The door we left by wasn’t anywhere near where we’d parked the car. We panted, out of breath, as we walked halfway around the exterior of the building. LP and Bill had been stopped by mall security shortly before we’d left the mall—not only were they running, but LP’d been shouting as well. As for us, we’d spent less than an hour at the mall and hadn’t gone into any stores. When we finally reached the car, I didn’t unlock it right away. “That was the dumbest and most illegal thing I’ve ever done,” I commented to the other two. 

Vanessa leaned against the car, cradling the skateboard like a baby. “Yeah, but you had a good time,” she pointed out. I didn’t know if I agreed with that. I’d have rather gone shopping while sipping my smoothie than run out of the building like a common criminal. But it was a more enjoyable way to spend the afternoon than sitting in front of my stereo, mourning the death of my relationship (even though it was still alive for now.) I shrugged at her. 

Jeff stood behind me and put a hand on each of my shoulders. I tensed up for a moment, but then relaxed. “Anyway,” he said, looking at me over my shoulder, “aren’t you the one always telling my boyfriend he needs to get out and do stuff more? Which, by the way, is something I agree with.” He stood up straight and came around to lean on the hood. “If you’re going to steal a skateboard and run through a shopping mall, you’d better do it now, while you’re still a minor and it doesn’t show up on your permanent record.” He grinned. “I’m a legal adult in a couple weeks. I’m going to celebrate by buying a lotto ticket and a pack of cigarettes and giving the cigarettes to the first homeless guy I see. Until then, I’m going to enjoy being juvenile and immature as much as possible.” 

Vanessa looked at him sideways. “Today was a pretty good start,” she said, and then she burst into laughter. “Sorry I was so testy when we first got started today,” she told him. 

He waved that off. “No problem. You weren’t that bad.” 

We were interrupted by the sound of music—to be more specific, Beethoven’s Für Elise. The three of us looked around for a moment, trying to figure out where it was coming from before I had a revelation. “Oh!” I exclaimed, and pulled a cell phone out of my pocket. I picked up the call. “Hi Mom,” I said. 

I listened to my mom for a moment as the other two looked at each other. “No, Mom, I’ll be home for dinner. Okay. Sure. Can I call you back in a minute? Okay, thanks, bye.” 

Jeff and Vanessa were staring at me. “When did you get a cell phone?” Vanessa asked. 

“Yesterday,” I answered. “My whole family got them, even Matt. Ours have unlimited texting, and they have a special plan that doesn’t include phone calls, just texting, especially for the deaf. I guess Mom found one more way to be prepared. I’m surprised she didn’t insist upon it years ago.” 

Jeff was stretched out, actually sitting on the hood by this point. “Why’d you say you’d call her back? You didn’t have to end the call for our sake.” 

“She wanted to know if I was bringing anyone home for dinner tonight. She made seafood lasagna. If you wanted to come, Jeff, I’m sure we could find you something else.” 

“What kind of seafood?” 

I thought about it. “It’s a mix. Shrimp and clams and squid and octopus.” 

It was his turn to think. “No, that sounds fine. I’d eat that.” 

Vanessa asked what I was thinking. “You’ll eat that, but not lobster?” 

Jeff made a face. “I just hate the thought of the way they throw the live lobsters into the boiling water,” he finally said. 

I looked over at Vanessa and she laughed. “What about you?” I asked her. “Coming to dinner?” 

She looked happier than she had all day. “Sure. Any time.”


End file.
